Dream A Dream
by Adiemus1
Summary: First Harry Potter fic for me, so please have mercy! Hermoine/Draco......I promise I'll have a better summary later.


:::.Chapter One.:::  
  
:::.Dream.:::  
  
She ran hard, her icy breath escaping her shivering body. Across the grass, over the bridge and through the collection of scattered trees she ran. Sharp pains entered her chest and the young woman stopped still, but only for a moment. Off went her silken cape, leaving the sheer material of her gown to float gently upon her arms. Hot tears threatened to pour down her lovely cheeks, but she refused to let them fall, to be weak. The fast paced beating of her heart began to decline and, with a weary sigh, she found a small little spot under the brush of a large pine tree. Carefully placing the sweet scented branches around her agile frame, she leaned into the tree, strategically lying down between the massive and proud roots. She situated a hand on her stomach and rubbed the sore spot gently, knowing already a bruise would soon be present.  
  
She could scarcely see the twinkling light of the moon far above her head, surrounded by fluffy clouds...but still sitting mighty and defiant, letting the light shine down upon the girl's head, causing a sparkling to glimmer in her exquisite eyes. A delicate finger lifted to her mouth, dipping down just a bit to touch her tongue, then back up again, spreading moisture to her parched, dry lips. She titled her head to the side, glancing at the dragonflies and lighting bugs that danced around the tree, stopping to sit upon a flower from time to time. The girl sat up a little, curving her previous horizontal figure. Smoothing out her pale lavender dress, she rose, her strength permitting.  
  
Slowly she climbed up the tree, taking extra pains not to rip the elegant gown. A firm grasp upon the branches was necessary and for a moment or two, she pondered why on earth she up here in the first place. Finally she reached the top and spread her arms out wide, letting the whispering of the wind playfully weave in and out of her stray curls. Her attention then looked forth to the large structure before her, her beloved Hogwarts. Through her perch at the top of the pine, she could make out the distant figure and faces of her classmates, her enemies, and her friends. The first was rather long, the second long enough, and the third was considered agreeable, though not as lengthy as she would have wished.  
  
Feeling the regained urge to join them once more, she placed a foot on the solid branch, and was doing quite well when, suddenly, the branch under her cracked, letting her fly down, down, down, in a spiral notion to the mossy ground below her...  
  
"Oof!"  
  
She was safe, and in the strong arms of a masked man, light of hair and skin, as well as his eyes, and yet they seemed so....dark, so mysterious....so secretive. With an elegant sweep he set her on her feet, eyeing the light amethyst pendant across her smooth pale skin. The stranger put a palm to her cheek, which traveled slowly down to her neck, landing on the pendant, his finger running over the lovely piece of jewelry casting glimmers in his eyes, a thing that rarely showed in this poor young man's life, something precious; a precious jewel.  
  
He blinked and quickly recoiled his hand, like a snake does his tongue. He glanced up to see the fresh young face of the girl he had seen, and although her mask was on as well, he could tell how beautiful she was...she positively glowed. He held out an arm, which she took gratefully, and inquired after the name of her rescuer. He simply smiled a mischievous smile, almost a smirk really, and it was her turn to stare.  
  
She could not clearly see the man's face, yet knew he was handsome, and due to his previous service to her, quite the dashing gentleman. My, wouldn't the girls have a fit when they heard about this...or should she tell them? A husky voice abruptly put an end to her trance, but sent shivers down her spine.  
  
"Dantes, Mondego Dantes."  
  
"Pardon?"  
  
"My name."  
  
"Mr. Dantes, you don't really expect to believe that's your real identity do you? I know all the students here, and I would certainly remember a man by the name of Mondego. You are quite the puzzle."  
  
"And you're lovely."  
  
A blush rose up to the girl's cheeks, and she cast her head downward a bit, hoping he wouldn't see in the pale moonlight. Her confidence revived itself, however, as he inquired after her name. She paused a moment, rightly convinced his was an alias, so why not use one as well?  
  
"Mercedes"  
  
"Beautiful....I must say though, Mercedes, that I fully catch the meaning of the game we're about to play."  
  
"But which character will you decide to be? I don't have the energy to know the both of you."  
  
Her excitement esteemed itself, and it must have shown through in her voice, for she felt herself slowly changing, even becoming rather giddy. Then again, it was not every night a girl had the opportunity to hold this kind of secrecy and conversation with such a man. Indeed, she found she would not give a thing to be in someone else's shoes at the moment.  
  
"Actually, I think you're the only girl I've met who could love the simple man and tame the beast."  
  
A sly smile inched its way across his face, as he too, blushed. The abrupt chiming of the rather loud bell made the two jump slightly, each head gazing across the landscape towards their magnificent school, lit up festively and standing tall and proud. The stranger gracefully stretched out a long toned arm, entwining it with her slender one. An eyebrow was raised, and the words came.  
  
"Shall we?"  
  
A smile was returned.  
  
"We shall, sir, we certainly shall."  
:::.End Chapter.:::  
Well, what do you think? Strong or weak? Any suggestions will be eagerly accepted, so please review. 


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